Scarlett's Tirade
by Delilah Twain
Summary: Occurring on the night of Melly's death. What if Scarlett didn't let Rhett walk away? A oneshot.


This idea had been in my mind for awhile so I had to write it. It probably would have been better had I my copy of the book to refer to, but I have lent it out, so you will have to bear with me. This is my first fanfic, so leave me lot's of constructive criticism, as I tend not to be consistent in my writing.

"Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn."

Scarlett let out a gasp of despair and collapsed on the stairs, in utter disbelief. Rhett gazed at her for a moment longer before turning and heading slowly up the stairs, towards his room.

"Coward"

Rhett stopped at the sound of Scarlett's bestowment upon him. It was not said overly loud, but came out evenly, as if in revelation.

"You coward" she said again, louder this time. At this Rhett turned towards her and started, to find her still collapsed, glaring at him from the bottom of the stairs. There was something in her stare that shocked him to the very core. Something that he had never seen before in her eyes. It was a combination of anger, recognition and something acutely similar to love, as dangerously close as it was to being enveloped by her rage.

Scarlett lifted herself from the steps and stood there, taking him in, all of him. She started to shake her head as if in disgust as he started back down the stairs towards her. She didn't flinch as Rhett tried to reach her, only backed away, still staring intently at him.

"You're running away" she said shakily, as a tear coursed it's way down her face. She didn't attempt to wipe it away, but her voice roughened as she started to yell.

"Your love didn't run out Rhett, you're scared" she flung her arms out in an attack stance. " You've run every time something has happened, to Belle's, or to Charleston or God knows where while I had to stay here and bear it."

Scarlett was so furious that she failed to notice the stricken look on Rhett's face.

"Scarlett-"

"How dare you" Scarlett was shouting now, uncaring of who might hear her. "How dare you act like it's my fault for not discovering something that you tried so desperately to hide Rhett, for one would have to be desperate to say the things you've said to me to some one that they loved." Angry tears were now running down Scarlett's face, and Rhett tried once more to step towards her, but she held her hand up, trying not to look at him, for she knew that if she did she would lose her resolution. Rhett could only stand there and look on while his heart was torn to shreds.

" You made me feel like trash for my actions. You corrupted me while I was oblivious to the fact. I ruined my reputation as a result, and then you chastised me for it's effect on Bonnie. It was your fault Rhett."

Tears started to well up in Rhett's eyes at the mention of Bonnie's name, and the iron grip that he had over his countenance faltered for a second.

"Scarlett please-"

"No Rhett, I don't please," she shouted and looked up at him.

" You don't have to care, but I'm not letting you run away again."

Scarlett advanced upon him and started beating at his chest with her fists and slapping him. Rhett did nothing to stop her, realizing that he deserved it. Scarlett was in hysterics " My whole life I've had responsibility shoved on me. Now I've lost everything I care about, Ma, Pa, the old days, my precious Bonnie, my only friend," Scarlett slowed her hitting and started sobbing into his chest. "And now you Rhett."

She halfheartedly resumed her futile beating of him as her temper was lit again.

" I want to hate so much Rhett, I always have, but I can't" she emphasized this with a hard jab to his shoulder "because I'm so damn much like you, and I love you despite myself"

At this she completely broke down, and didn't notice that his mask had fallen away. She had finally, unwittingly, managed to rip his resolve in two and barely noticed when his arms wrapped themselves around her shaking body.

"You win Rhett, I can't do it anymore. You claim to have made it out of our relationship and moved on, but I can't, not when I've just found it." Scarlett's tears had stopped, and though they threatened her now, she looked up into his face and was startled by what she saw.

Rhett was looking down at her with more passion than she had ever thought possible.

She let out a strangled sob of suprise as she stared, and then Rhett brought his mouth over hers in a crushing kiss that left her heart in her throat. Rhett clutched her to his body as if trying to make them into one as Scarlett wrapped her arms so tightly around his neck that she caused him physical pain. She felt wetness on her face and looked up startled, to notice that Rhett had tears running down his face. He buried his face in her neck and held her there as she held onto him also.

"Rhett"

In a swift movement he was kissing her again, and he ran his hands all over her body as if trying to make sure she was really there. He lifted her and carried her up the stairs, in an all too familiar routine, and though he caused her pain by holding her so tightly, she did not cry out this time, but reciprocated it to the best of her ability.

I'll just leave this to your imagination then.

Thanks for reading.


End file.
